The Last Day


At night the whip-poor-will’s soft lullaby
caresses the dunes
sweet rhapsody envelops the mist
echoing the sorrow of those below
forced to leave to parts too well known. 

sea foam laps at the shore, a silent embrace, 
reluctant to return to the waves washing 
against the sand.

shells scattered as offerings, gifts from the depths
home of the humpbacks
the sun rises gently lifting from the edge of the surf
a quick ascent, tangerine rays fill the sky
lighting the world anew 
ushering in possibility

royal terns and killdeer gather
paying homage to hope
stirring silently

pelicans and cormorants come
gliding
grazing the surf.